Bubbling display device



March 10, 1970 s. PUBLICKER 3,499,238

BUBBLING DISPLAY DEVICE Filed June 9, 1967 FIG.2

IN VENTOR. f/o/vzy 1 1/51 //f/? United States Patent 3,499,238 BUBBLINGDISPLAY DEVICE Sidney Publicker, 534 Alicia Drive, Westbury, N.Y. 11590Filed June 9, 1967, Ser. No. 644,953 Int. Cl. G09f 13/24 U.S. Cl.40-10621 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Bubbling display device oftransparent material and shaped like a champagne glass or beer schoonercontaining a non-toxic, non-flammable liquid having a boiling point atapproximately room temperature, preferably Freon 11, is provided with achamber at the bottom of the column of liquid having a perforated upperwall or plate and housing solid particles which promote generation ofbubbles and coalescence of small bubbles into larger ones which risethrough the perforations in approximately uniform size. In the case of achampagne glass, a smaller liquid filled envelope is contained in alarger one which magnifies the smaller envelope.

The present invention relates to bubbling display and advertisingdevices for attracting the attention of passersby in store and shopwindows, and of customers in stores, night clubs and the like, andparticularly in the window displays of wine and beer retail stores.

It is the general object of the invention to provide a display devicewhich will attract the eyes of passersby and immediately convey the ideaof the nature of the store or shop and/ or advertise a particular brandof wine, beer, or the like.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a bubbledisplay device which is completely sealed and contains a liquid which isnon-toxic and nonflammable, so that in the event of breakage, no seriousefiects can result either to the property or to the persons in thevicinity.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a de vice of the typeindicated with a source of illumination which serves also to generatethe bubbles Which rise in the column of liquid. T

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a displaydevice suitable especially for stores selling alcoholic beverageswherein the casing or mantle or envelope of the device is transparentand is shaped so as to be suggestive of the type of beverage sold oradvertised such as champagne or beer, the display device showing bubblesrising in a champagne glass having a hollow stem, or in a double-walledstein or schooner of beer or ale.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of thetype indicated with a hollow, transparent, bowl-shaped envelope ormantle which operates to magnify the liquid-containing vessel within it,so that the appearance of a larger vessel is gained, while at the sametime a smaller quantity of the bubble-generating liquid can be employed.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the typeindicated, a chamber within the body of liquid and having a perforatedtop wall or plate enclosing particles of solid material which operate tofacilitate generation of bubbles and aid in distributing the bub blesover the whole cross-sectional area of the column of liquid; suchperforated plate serving also to cause bubbles to coalesce into a largervapor bubble, and the size of the bubble emerging from the perforationsbeing made uniform by such perforations, so that a steady stream ofbubbles of substantially the same size rises continuously in the columnof liquid.

3,499,238 Patented Mar. 10, 1970 Other objects and advantages of theinvention will become clear from the following detailed description ofthe invention, taken together with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a central vertical section through a champagne glass-shapeddisplay device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a modification likewise in central vertical section andpartly in elevation.

Referring to FIG. 1, the display device is generally in the shape of ahollow stem champagne glass, the hollow stern being indicated at 10 andthe bowl section at 11. The base of the glass is indicated at 12.

The structure shown in FIG. 1 differs from a champagne glass in that thebowl portion 11 is not open to the atmosphere, but is in the form of adouble-walled structure, the bowl portion 11 continuing into a re-entrysection 13 which, with the bowl portion 11, forms an enclosed space 14.As can be readily seen from FIG. 1, the hollow stem and the space 14 arein communication with each other.

The parts 10, 11, 12 and 13 are made of clear transparent glass orplastic, and the bottom end of the stem 10 is sealed by a disc 15 whichis cemented or fused thereto. Spaceda short distance above the disc 15is a second disc 16 which is perforated a indicated at 17 to permit thepassage of bubbles therethrough, as will be explained hereinafter.Within the space 18 between the discs 15 and 16 there are disposed anumber of compressed carbon chip-s 19 or other inert particles (such asglass beads, glass wool and the like) of a size greater than theperforations 17.

While the space 10a, 14 may be filled with various kinds of volatileliquids heretofore employed in bubbling display devices, I have foundthat superior results are obtained with a non-flammable, non-toxic Freontype of liquid having a boiling point slightly above average roomtemperature. I have found Freon 11 (trichloromonofluoromethane) having aboiling point of 74.8 F. to be highly effective for the purposes of thepresent invention, and such liquid is poured into the spaces 10a and 14,by way of nipple 20; when the liquid has reached a level a shortdistance below the top 21 of the space 14, as indicated at 22, thenipple is sealed, as by fusion, as indicated at 23.

The display device is adapted to be placed over a source of heat, suchas a 40 w. or 60 w. electric lamp 24 contained within a ventilated box25 on which the base of the display device rests, the lamp beingsupplied with current by conductors 26. The top of the box 25 isapertured, as indicated at 27, the base being disposed over suchaperture, so that the bottom of the display device is heated directly byradiation and convection.

In the operation of the display device shown in FIG. 1, the heat fromthe lamp or other source evaporates the trichloromonofluoromethane atthe bottom of the stem 10, the formation of bubbles being promoted bythe compressed carbon chips or other inert particles 19 which floathaphazardly within the space 18 and act also to distribute the bubblesto the perforations 17 of disc 16. While four or more such perforationsmay be provided, I have found that two diametrically opposite openingsare suificient.

The formed bubbles rise within the stem 10 and into the space 14 andgive a highly realistic impression of champagne bubbles rising to thesurface of the liquid in space 14. This liquid is preferably colored toresemble champagne.

The space above the surface 22 of the liquid is evacuated to the extentof about 3 to 5 cm. of vacuum, and the bubbles condense in said spaceand return to the body of liquid in the annular space 14.

In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 2, the construction is suchas to require a smaller amount of the liquid, while at the same time amagnifying effect is produced which gives the impression of a champagneglass of larger size.

The device of FIG. 2 includes an outer jacket 28 which has the shape ofa champagne glass with hollow stem 30, terminating in the enlarged base29. The stem 30 of the outer jacket 28 receives the hollow stem 31 of achampagne glass-like structure 32 having a hollow bowl similar to thatshown in FIG. 1, and composed of the bowl section 33 and the re-entryportion 34 which is spaced from the bowl section 33 to provide a hollowspace 35 which is in communication with the space 36 within the stem 31.The stem is sealed at its bottom, as indicated at 37, and spaced fromsuch bottom is a perforated disc 38 similar to the disc 16 of FIG. 1. Asin the space 18, there are provided in the space between the parts 37and 38 a number of chips of compressed carbon or other inert particles.The bottom of the stem 31 is seated in a cup shaped member 39 which issealed to the stern.

The hollow glass structure 32 is filed with Freon 11 up to a shortdistance below the top of the glass, as indicated at 40, the space abovethe liquid surface 40 being under a vacuum as in FIG. 1. The hollowinterior of structure 32 is filled by way of the nipple 20 which issealed as shown at 23.

As indicated hereinabove, heat is supplied to the bot tom of the displaydevice by the lamp 24 and the bubbles (produced by the boiling of theliquid at the bottom of the stem 31) rise within the stern, as shown at19 and into the hollow bowl section 35. The bubbles condense within thespace and against the walls of the upper portion of the bowl, and returnto the body of liquid within the device.

As with'the construction of FIG. 1, the parts of FIG. 2 can be made ofglass or of clear plastic. The outer jacket 28 can be filled with wateras indicated at 28a, which acts to magnify the bowl section 33, so thatthe effect of a larger champagne glass is obtained with a smallerquantity of Freon 11. As will be seen from FIG. 2, the bowl section 33is of considerably smaller diameter than the outer jacket 28, butdespite this difference in size, the bowl section 33 appears to bealmost the size of the jacket 28 when viewed from a short distance.

It will be understood that although I have described my invention inconnection with a display device consisting of a transparent champagneglass-like structure, it will be evident thatthe principles of myinvention can be applied to various other types of devices designed toattract the eye of passersby in a store window or in public places orthe like. Thus, the display device can be in the form of 4 ahollow-walled beer schooner which includes a hollow stem, constructedsimilarly to the stems 10 and 31 and communicating with the interior ofsuch walls.

I claim:

1. A bubbling display device comprising a sealed transparent hollowenvelope including a stem portion and a bowl-like portion communicatinginteriorly with the stern portion and containing a liquid having aboiling point of approximately room temperature, and heating meanslocated adjacent to the stern portion for promoting the formation ofbubbles, said sealed envelope being contained within a similarly shapedbut larger jacket which is open to the atmosphere, the space between theenvelope and jacket being adapted to be filled with water.

2. A bubbling display device comprising a sealed transparent hollowenvelope including a stem portion and a bowl-like portion communicatinginteriorly with the stem portion and containing a liquid having aboiling point of approximately room temperature, and heating meanslocated adjacent to the stern portion for promoting the formation ofbubbles, said bowl-like portion including a reentrant portion to form ahollow-walled bowl which is in communication with the interior of thestem portion.

3. A display device according to claim 2, wherein the bowl portion isshaped to resemble a champagne glass having a hollow stem.

4. A display device according to claim 2, including a chamber at thebottom of the stem and formed with a perforated top plate and containingparticles of insoluble material to promote the formation of bubbles.

5. A display device according to claim 4, wherein the insolubleparticles are composed of compressed charcoal.

6. A display device according to claim 2, wherein the level of theliquid is below the top of the bowl to provide a space, such space beingat least partially evacuated.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 233,435 10/1880 Ross et a1.

- 2,378,934 6/1945 Kloner 40-l06.2l 2,453,176 11/1948 Abramson 40l06.212,569,078 9/1951 Silver et al 40106.21 2,991,574 7/1961 Trame' 40106.2l3,120,068 2/1964 Winther 40--106.2l 3,392,466 7/1968 Lo Giudice 40106.21

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner RICHARD CARTER, Assistant ExaminerU.S. Cl. X.R. 40-126

